28 February, 2018

A little anxiety may aid your memory

Do you tend to be worried or anxious over petty issues? Relax, a little anxiety may help you in remembering things, researchers have claimed. The study, published in the journal Journal Brain Sciences, showed that manageable levels of anxiety actually aided people in being able to recall the details of events.

Conversely, when anxiety levels got too high or descended into fear, it led to the colouring of memories where people begin to associate otherwise neutral elements of an experience to the negative context, the researchers noted. "People with high anxiety have to be careful," said Myra Fernandes, Professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada.

"To some degree, there is an optimal level of anxiety that is going to benefit your memory, but we know from other researches that high levels of anxiety can cause people to reach a tipping point, which impacts their memories and performance," Fernandes added.

For the study, the researchers assessed 80 undergraduate students from the University of Waterloo, including 64 females. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to a deep encoding instruction group while the other half were randomly assigned to a shallow encoding group.

The results showed that individuals with high anxiety levels showed a heightened sensitivity to the influences of emotional context on their memory, with neutral information becoming tainted, or coloured by the emotion with which it was associated during encoding.

"By thinking about emotional events or by thinking about negative events this might put you in a negative mindset that can bias you or change the way you perceive your current environment," explained Christopher Lee, researcher at the varsity.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com/health

28.02.2018

The best way to see faith is to shut the eye of REASONS

Benjamin Franklin

27 February, 2018

Beware! These beauty tools could be harming you every day

If you are someone like me who doesn’t like to leave the house without makeup and perfect hair you should be very careful of the types of beauty equipment you use every day. I have had my share of accidents and don’t want others to go through anything like that. The random blower and eyelash curler might seem harmless to us because we have been using it day in and day out but what is the magnitude of harm these tools could be causing if malfunctioned, have you ever wondered? Let’s take a look a few beauty tools we probably use daily but are so dangerous like playing with fire.

·         Hair curler: No matter how gorgeous those curls might seem to you if you are using a hair curler almost daily, it is time stop and give it a thought. Let alone the harm it is doing to your hair, you must not forget that you are just one mishap away from a burnt face or neck. Think about it. Even if you are really confident about your abilities, you might still want to keep the heat on low and cover your face and neck before starting the procedure.

·         Hair straighteners: Similarly hair straighteners could damage your hair big time. There are so many videos going viral wherein one mishap or electrical fluctuation led to half their hair burn and fall into their hands. Apart from that burning your ear and forehead is really common. The consistent heat near the scalp because of the straightener can harm your skin and cause excessively dry scalp.

·         Hair dryer: That hot air from your blow-dryer does harm your scalp hair and skin but do you know there have been so many cases and video evidence of blow dryers burning all of a sudden or sucking in hair ripping off your scalp?

·         Eyelash curler: If you don’t know how an eyelash curler works then it is a scissor-handed equi[men that presses the eyelash in a way that it is curled up. Not only are there chances of ripping off your lashes, but a single mistake could even make you lose your eyes.

·         UV nail lamp: This new, quick and easy way of drying up gel nail paints does more harm than good. According to a recent study, the damage from the light frequencies the nail lamps emit can harm your overall health. It can cause DNA damage to the skin and can cause premature aging and possibly cancer.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

27.02.2018

When mind is Weak, situation is Problem. When mind is balanced, situation is Challenge. But, when mind is Strong, situation becomes Opportunity

26 February, 2018

That stapler pin on your tea bag can spoil its benefits and be dangerous!

THAT STAPLER PIN ON YOUR TEA BAG CAN BE DANGEROUS: It’s a fact now that green tea is one of the healthiest drinks. We all have been hearing so much good about green tea for so long that it’s now properly settled in our minds. The moment someone says green tea, what comes to our mind is weight loss, good digestion, detoxification, antioxidants and everything sweet and healthy. It would be no less than a sin if we say that green tea is unhealthy. But have you ever noticed that stapler pin at the end of a tea bag with which you hold it? It is not just green tea but most of the tea sachets that you dip in water have a stapler pin to which the thread is attached. What if you are told that this stapler pin if it gets into your tea, can do much more harm than the benefit green tea is giving you? So, here we bring to you the harms this stapler pin can do to your health.

THE BAN: The manufacturing, distribution, sale, storage and importing of stapled tea bags were ordered to be discontinued under Section (15) FSS Act, 2006, by the Food Authority, starting January 2018. Also, the unsafe packaging materials should not be strictly used, says the Food Authority of India. 

WHAT TO USE: Instead of stapler pins, the companies should make knotted tea bags. Knotted tea bags still come on the market but in very small quantity. The tea bags contribute to 3-4 percent by value of the total tea sale. But it is the fastest growing segment with 50-60 percent increase every year.

WHAT NOT TO DO: People even put the stapled teabags in the cups and then heat it in a microwave. This should strictly not be done. The pins are metallic and thus, are harmful in nature. 

STAPLER PINS CAN BE POISONOUS: Stapler pins are made of galvanised iron. Galvanised iron is iron with zinc coating which prevents the iron from corroding. This iron, if swallowed, cannot be digested and can cause severe harm to the stomach's internal lining along with leading to bleeding. It can also be poisonous. 

Source: www.timesofindia.com

26.02.2018

Don’t Get Upset With PEOPLE or SITUATIONS….They are POWERLESS Without Your REACTION….!

24 February, 2018

Beetroot juice supplements may help heart failure patients: study

Beetroot juice supplements may help enhance exercise capacity in patients with heart failure, a study has found. Exercise capacity is a key factor linked to these patients' quality of life and even survival, said researchers from Indiana University in the US. 

The study, published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure, examined the impact of dietary nitrate in the form of beetroot juice supplements on the exercise capacity of eight heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction. It is a condition in which the heart muscle does not contract effectively and cannot get enough oxygen-rich blood to the body. 

Tens of millions of people suffer from heart failure. In about half of all such people, the ejection fraction of the heart is reduced, the researchers said. Because of their condition, these patients exhibit laboured breathing, have diminished peak oxygen uptake and use more energy while exercising than would otherwise be the case. The researchers found that the beetroot supplement resulted in significant increases in exercise duration, peak power and peak oxygen uptake while exercising.

"Abnormalities in aerobic exercise responses play a major role in the disability, loss of independence and reduced quality of life that accompany heart failure," said Andrew Coggan from Indiana University. "Perhaps more importantly, elevations in ventilatory demand and decreases in peak oxygen uptake are highly predictive of mortality in patients with heart failure," Coggan said. A second important aspect of the study is there were no untoward side effects from the dietary nitrate, Coggan said. "In this case, lack of any significant changes is good news," he said. The data suggests that dietary supplementation may be a valuable addition to treatment for exercise intolerance among heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction, he added.

Source: www.deccanherald.com

24.02.2018

Everything is beautiful once you change the way you see it

23 February, 2018

Pakistan is the riskiest country for newborns: UNICEF report

Out of every 1,000 children born in Pakistan, 46 die at birth, a report released by UNICEF said on Tuesday, singling out Pakistan as the riskiest country for newborns.

“It’s abysmal,” said Dr. Ghazna Khalid, a leading obstetrician in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. “We don’t need front-line medical doctors. We have plenty of them. We need skilled midwives,” the Associated Press (AP) quoted him saying.

The report which is a part of UNICEF's new campaign showed that South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa as the worst places for a child to be born. The report further said that after Pakistan, the Central African Republic is the next riskiest country for newborns, and Afghanistan is the third.

“Babies born in Japan, Iceland, and Singapore have the best chance at survival, while newborns in Pakistan, the Central African Republic and Afghanistan face the worst odds,” it said, noting that “more than 80 percent of all newborn deaths are caused by three preventable and treatable conditions,” the AP reported.

UNICEF says as many as 3 million children could be saved each year with an investment in quality care at delivery. In Pakistan, Dr. Khalid said 80 percent of newborn deaths could be prevented with skilled birth attendants.

The UN children's agency also appealed on properly training midwives and allowing better “access to well-trained midwives, along with proven solutions like clean water, disinfectants, breastfeeding within the first hour, skin-to-skin contact and good nutrition.”

According to the AP report, Khalid, who has conducted extensive research into mother and child health and has written international papers on the subject, said that lack of funding, corruption, and misplaced government priorities all contribute to insufficient investments in the training of midwives.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com/health

23.02.2018

Don’t make a permanent decision on temporary feelings

22 February, 2018

The longer a person stays obese, the higher is the risk of heart damage

The longer a person spends being obese, the higher is the risk of a “silent” heart damage, finds a study, which says “the number of overweight or obese years may “add up” to the risk. The findings showed that for every 10 years that a person spends being obese, the risk of having high levels of troponin — a protein linked with heart damage — increased 1.25 times, even when accounting for heart disease risk due to high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disease. Troponin is released when the heart muscle has been damaged. The more damage there is to the heart, the greater will be the amount of troponin in the blood. Thus, maintaining a healthy weight across the lifespan is important for keeping the heart healthy and minimising damage as people age, the researchers said.

“We’re finding that people’s weight from age 25 onwards is linked to the risk of more or less heart damage, as measured by levels of the protein troponin, later in life, which underscores the likely importance of long-term weight control for reducing heart disease risk,” said Chiadi Ndumele, Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University.
“The study suggests that even in the absence of such heart disease risk factors as high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease, the number of years spent obese or overweight contributes to the higher likelihood of heart damage,” Ndumele added.

For the study, appearing in the journal Clinical Chemistry, the team examined 9,062 participants, four times over a period of 10-11 years. Those who increased their body mass index (BMI) to the overweight and obesity range at the fourth visit were 1.5 times more likely to have increased troponin levels of at least 14 nanograms per litre, indicating heart damage. On average, every 100 extra BMI-years increased the likelihood, or risk, of increased troponin by 21 percent, Ndumele said.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

22.02.2018

Be with those who bring best in            you…..and not stress in you

21 February, 2018

Post stroke, babies use opposite side of brain for language

A stroke in a baby -- even a big one - may not have the same lasting impact as it could in an adult. Researchers have found that they regain language function in the "opposite side" of the brain if they experience a stroke around the time of birth.

About one in 4,000 babies suffer a stroke shortly before, during or after birth.

The researchers found that a decade or two after a "perinatal" stroke damaged the left "language" side of the brain, affected teenagers and young adults used the right sides of their brain for language.

The findings, presented in a symposium at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting at Austin in Texas, demonstrates how "plastic" brain function is in infants, said Elissa Newport, Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University School of Medicine in the US.

The study found that all the individuals studied, aged 12 to 25, who had a left-brain perinatal stroke, used the right side of their brains for language. 

"Their language is good -- normal," she said.

The only telltale signs of prior damage to their brain are that some study individuals limp a bit and many have learned to make their left hands dominant because the stroke left the right hand's functions impaired, the researchers said.  But basic cognitive functions, like language comprehension and production, are excellent, Newport said.

Furthermore, imaging studies revealed that language in these participants is all based on the right side in an exact, mirror opposite region to the left normal language areas.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com/health

21.02.2018

Jealousy is the jauindice of the soul

John Dryden

19 February, 2018

Teens work hard to appear interesting on social media: study

Teens work very hard to create a favourable online image by carefully selecting which photos, activities and links to post on Facebook and Instagram, a study has found. Content that makes them appear interesting, well-liked and attractive to their friends and peers is a primary goal for adolescents when deciding what to share in digital spaces, researchers said.

These social media channels allow individuals time to craft and edit posts and, unlike offline situations, offer teens the chance to consider - even strategise about - how they want to present themselves online. Researchers found that for girls, the effort to construct a favourable image can involve lengthy deliberation and advice from confidantes. The process of posting pictures is particularly time-consuming and can be a joint endeavour among friends - ensuring that only the most flattering photos, filters and captions are selected.

Girls also actively enlist their friends to comment on and like their posts in an attempt to boost their popularity index, with especially savvy Instagram and Facebook users being active during peak social media traffic hours in order to maximise their number of likes. Boys in the study did not ask pals for feedback or to like their posts.

"Their social rules for online interaction require a higher level of sensitivity than do those for in-person communication," she said. "Even interesting and positive posts can be interpreted negatively. For example, sharing about college admissions could come across as pretentious and prideful," she added. The study included 51 Southern California adolescents - 27 females and 24 males - between the ages of 12 and 18.

Source: www.deccanherald.com

19.02.2018

The more you learn, the less you fear

 Julian Barnes

17 February, 2018

Heart surgery in infants may cause deafness

Children who have undergone heart surgery as infants may risk hearing loss by the age of four, in addition to poor language skills and cognitive problems, researchers have found.

Researchers discovered that around 21 percent of 348 pre-schoolers, who had survived cardiac surgery, suffered hearing loss. This rate was 20 times higher than that prevalent among the general population.

For the study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, the researchers analyzed neurodevelopmental outcomes in these children. A total of 75 children were found to have developed hearing loss. 

Other factors common among the hearing loss cases were gestational age younger than 37 weeks, a confirmed genetic anomaly and longer postoperative length of stay. 

The researchers found children with hearing loss had lower scores on measures of language skills, cognition (IQ testing), and executive function and attention.

The study suggested that children who undergo heart surgery should have their hearing evaluated by age 24 to 30 months, to increase their chances of receiving a timely medical intervention.

"Children born with life-threatening heart defects require a great deal of sophisticated care before and after surgery," said the lead author of the study Nancy B. Burnham, a nurse-practitioner in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com/health

17.02.2018

Everything is beautiful once you change the way you see it

16 February, 2018

Climbing stairs may reduce high blood pressure problems in menopausal women

Try climbing stairs as much possible if you find aerobics or resistance-training exercises to be tedious, as it may not only reduce high blood pressure problems but also build leg strength, especially in older women, claimed a new research. Postmenopausal women with estrogen deficiencies are more susceptible to vascular and muscle problems.

Climbing stairs may offer them the benefits of both aerobic and resistance exercise. It may not only improve cardiorespiratory fitness but also leg muscle strength without their having to leave the house or pay a fee. It also offers the additional benefits of lowering blood pressure and arterial stiffness — thickening and stiffening of the arterial wall — fat loss, improved lipid profiles, and reduced risk of osteoporosis, the findings showed.

“This study demonstrates how simple lifestyle interventions such as stair climbing can be effective in preventing or reducing the negative effects of menopause and age on the vascular system and leg muscles of postmenopausal women with hypertension,” said JoAnn Pinkerton, Executive Director at the North American Menopausal Society in Cleveland, US.

For the study, published in the journal Menopause, the researchers surveyed over postmenopausal women who were trained four days a week and climbed 192 steps two to five times a day.

The results showed that stair climbing led to reductions in arterial stiffness and blood pressure and increases in leg strength in stage 2 hypertensive postmenopausal women.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

16.02.2018

You are the only person on earth who can use your ability

Zig Ziglar

15 February, 2018

Sweetened drinks may lower chances of pregnancy: study

Drinking one or more sugar-sweetened beverages every day by either partner may reduce the couple's chances of pregnancy, a study has warned. "We found positive associations between intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and lower fertility, which were consistent after controlling for many other factors, including obesity, caffeine intake, alcohol, smoking, and overall diet quality," said Elizabeth Hatch, from Boston University in the US.

"Couples planning a pregnancy might consider limiting their consumption of these beverages, especially because they are also related to other adverse health effects," said Hatch, lead author of the study published in the journal Epidemiology. Identifying modifiable risk factors for infertility, including diet, could help couples conceive more quickly and reduce the psychological stress and financial hardship related to fertility treatments. Through the Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO), an ongoing web-based prospective cohort study of North American couples, researchers surveyed 3,828 women and 1,045 of their male partners.

Participants completed a comprehensive baseline survey on medical history, lifestyle factors, and diet, including their intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. Female participants then completed a follow-up questionnaire every two months for up to 12 months or until pregnancy occurred. Both female and male intake of sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with 20 percent reduced fecundability, the average monthly probability of conception. Females who consumed at least one soda per day had 25 percent lower fecundability; male consumption was associated with 33 percent lower fecundability.

Intake of energy drinks was related to even larger reductions in fertility, although the results were based on small numbers of consumers.

Source: www.deccanherald.com

15.02.2018

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends

Martin Luther King Jr.

14 February, 2018

Ball games can boost bone health in school children

Want your child to have stronger bones? Encourage them to play ball games or indulge in circuit strength training as it may help them to develop stronger bones, a new study has claimed. According to the researchers, eight to ten-year-old school children develop stronger bones, increased muscular strength and improved balance when ball games or circuit training are on the timetable.

"Our research shows that intense exercise at school has clear positive effects on bone density, muscular strength and balance in eight to ten-year-old children," said the lead author of the study, Peter Krustrup Professor of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Southern Denmark. For the study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers examined bone and muscle health in 295 school children over a whole school year. 

The children participated in a training concept looking into the effects of various types of intense interval training at school.

The researchers compared the effects on children who took the normal school physical education (PE) classes with children who had intense exercise on the timetable for two hours a week in the form of ball games on small pitches or 'circuit training' consisting of gymnastic and strength exercises using their own body weight.

In the children in third grade who played ball games three against three or participated in circuit training for three days in a week for 40 minutes, muscular strength increased by 10 per cent and balance improved by 15 per cent.  While the children's bone density increased by a whole 45 per cent compared to the control group.

"The study shows that bone density in the ball-game group rose by 7 per cent in the legs and by 3 per cent in the body as a whole, giving a real boost to bone health," said Malte Nejst Larsen, Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Denmark.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com/health

14.02.2018

It is possible to fail in many ways...while to succeed is possible only in one way

Aristole

12 February, 2018

Good news! Being single is healthier

Recent studies have suggested that single people are more likely to embrace solitude and benefit from it. According to The Independent, Bella DePaulo, a psychologist from the University of California Santa Barbara, advocates the single life and travels the nation to present these findings, which she says are often dismissed by the larger psychology community. It has been found that single people tend to have stronger social networks. In 2015, social scientists named Natalia Sarkisian and Naomi Gerstel set out to explore how ties to relatives, neighbours, and friends varied among single and married American adults.

They found out that singles were not only more likely to frequently reach out to their social networks, but also tended to provide and receive help from these people more than their married peers. Their results held steady even when they accounted for factors like race, gender, and income levels.

In older people, friendships were a stronger predictor of both health and happiness than relationships with family members. “Keeping a few really good friends around can make a world of difference for our health and well-being,” Chopik said in a statement. “So it’s smart to invest in the friendships that make you happiest.” Also, singles also tend to be fitter. There may be some truth to the idea that people who “settle down” ease into unhealthier habits, at least when it comes to some measures of physical fitness. In surveying more than 13,000 people between 18 and 64, researchers found that those who were single and had never married worked out more frequently each week than their married and divorced peers.

In a 2016 presentation for the American Psychological Association, DePaulo presented evidence that single people tended to have stronger feelings of self-determination and were more likely to experience psychological growth and development than their married counterparts.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

12.02.2018

A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks…..

8 February, 2018

Yoga could bring relief for those battling cancer

India is likely to see around 17.3 lakh new cancer cases, with over 8.8 lakh deaths by 2020. Cancer is a killer that claims numerous lives every year.

India is likely to see around 17.3 lakh new cancer cases, with over 8.8 lakh deaths by 2020, as per the data compiled by Indian Council of Medical Research. Cancers of the breast, lung and cervix are predicted to be on the rise in the coming years.

To raise awareness about the deadly disease and to battle the surrounding stigma, World Cancer Day is observed on Feb. 4 every year.

When a person is diagnosed with cancer, he or she faces both physical and psychological threats. Health professionals and oncologists feel that there is a need to intervene early and break the patient's symptom distress. Yoga has been suggested as a possible remedy.

Yoga has the potential to calm a person's mind. It helps cancer patients as well as survivors with the healing process. It is used to treat many of the patient's symptoms and to reduce the discomfort caused by cancer treatments.

Yoga Consultant Dr. Deepashree says that yoga can help a person manage stress and improve his or her quality of life. “I personally do not like to associate every person who comes to me for yoga with a disease. Rather, I would like to make them understand their health. I emphasize the power of mind that can be directed on constructive things,” she says.

Latha Menon, a businesswoman who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year, sees yoga as a lifesaver. She says: “Yoga does a lot of good to one’s psyche. There is no need for heavy asanas (postures) to get our systems right. There are some gentle yoga poses to follow. Even a simple meditation can do a lot.”

Source: www.deccanherald.com

08.02.2018

Be real, be yourself, be unique, be true, be honest, be humble, be Happy….

7 February, 2018

64 percent of antibiotics being sold in India haven't been regulated: UK study

According to a study conducted in the UK, millions of antibiotics currently being sold in Indian markets haven't been approved by the regulator. 64 percent antibiotic medicines that can be found at pharmacies around the country haven't been regulated, the study said.

Despite pledging to tackle the rising problem of antibiotic resistance, multinational companies continued to manufacture many unapproved formulations, it was found.

Antibiotic resistance is slowly gaining momentum as a global crisis. It occurs when bacteria change in a way that reduces the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals, or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections. As it becomes increasingly prevalent, it also threatens to undermine healthcare systems across the globe.

These findings, therefore, underline grave obstacles to bring antimicrobial resistance under control in India – a country which has one of the highest antibiotic consumption rates and sales in the world. Parliamentary investigations into failures of the country's drug regulatory system have also been previously carried out.

For the study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, researchers analyzed figures for fixed dose combination (FDC) antibiotics (formulations composed of two or more drugs in a single pill) and single drug formulation (SDF) antibiotics (composed of a single drug) on the market in India.

Despite the sale of unapproved new medicines being illegal in India, it was found that of 118 different formulations of FDCs being sold in the country between 2007 and 2012, 64 percent (75) were not approved by the national drugs regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Only five of the formulations were approved in the UK or US. 

Source: www.zeenews.india.com/health

07.02.2018

Change yourself – you are in control

Mahatma Gandhi